1. Setting up an Interview
Lighting and Props

2. Lighting
One of the most important considerations when shooting an interview is whether you can see the interviewee. It is not always necessary to use actual lights for your interviews and you will need to determine the best way to do this on an interview-by-interview basis.

3. What to consider
Natural Light – can you position your interviewee somewhere that natural light illuminates them?
Artificial Light – Are you shooting indoors? Are there lights in the room? How many? How well does it light them?
It is important to see the interviewees face – eyes and mouth are the key features! This is where the emotion and information come from

4. Using Natural Light
If you have decided there is enough natural light to be used for the interview, there are a few additional things to help.
Light Bounce
Use to reflect the natural light onto your interviewees

6. Using Lights
When you are filming indoors, or in poorly lit areas, lighting is the best way to illuminate your interviewees.
Camera mounted light – We have numerous LED lights that will fit onto your camera. Selecting which camera to mount it to is important in order to light them with the fewest amount of shadows
Red Heads – If you are filming in a particularly dark area, these are you best option. You can use them for 2-point lighting allowing you to light up both the interviewee and the background (see diagram on next slide)

8. Props
Whilst you may not think props are relevant to documentaries, dressing the scene when interviewing people can really help to reinforce the content and context of what is being said. For example, if you are interviewing a Doctor in a surgery or hospital, you need to make the location clear.
Whilst the uniform suggests that he is a Doctor, the room doesn’t really support this.
Here it is clear to see that it is a Doctor in their surgery room. The bed and background medicines reinforce the context. Don’t be afraid to ask if you can position them in certain areas of the room or to move some things into shot for filming purposes.